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Portici Royal Palace

Naples, Italy

2006 World Monuments Watch

In 1740, King Charles III embarked on the construction of the Royal Palace of Portici as a summer residence for the court. Some of the finest architects of the period worked on the house, including Antonio Medrano, who planned the original design, Antonio Canevari, who directed the first phase of construction, and Vanvitelli and Fuga, responsible for later eighteenth-century interventions. During the nineteenth century, the royal palace was a stop on the Grand Tour. Today, however, it is in poor condition and suffers from inappropriate interventions and a general lack of maintenance. Last update: December 2010